LEARNING DAILY

 

Mark 16:15, And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

 

I have been reading the autobiography of Charles Finney. It has caused me to do a great amount of reflection regarding my interaction with neighbors, friends, even family regarding their relationship to Jesus Christ. God overwhelmed Finney with His presence and the assurance that He had washed away all His sinfulness. The result was great revival wherever he went. People came under tremendous conviction of their sin and the need to repent and ask Jesus Christ into their lives. Finney filled a tremendous need in the early 1800s, correcting wrong ideas of people wherever God sent him. I have been in awe of the presence of God in Finney’s life and the boldness in which he spoke the Word of God resulting in deep convictions and salvations of many people.

 

I have been trying to decide why I do not have the boldness Finney had. There is not one house hold on the street we live on that goes to church except for the Jewish family. I am not making any judgment about their relationship to the Lord. They are all good people that have no evidence of their fruit produced with a relationship with Jesus Christ. Finney would be in their home and would not leave until he had shared the whole gospel of Christ – all men are sinners, the only way to have Christ in their lives was to admit they were sinners, repent, and ask Jesus into their heart in order to change them. I don’t think times are different; my neighbors and other people I know need Jesus. I suppose I could try to convince myself that people have all had opportunities to hear the gospel message. Or, I could convince myself that the way I live may be the only Bible they will read. But I still continue to ask the Lord to open the opportunity to share with people when He knows they are ready.

 

1 Peter 3:15 tells us, “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear”. You and I need to have an inner reverence and commitment to Jesus Christ that is always ready to share and explain our faith to others. I believe that does come from two things. First people are watching to see if our lifestyle (the way we walk on the narrow way) matches the things we believe. Secondly, the day may be approaching when the Lord sends people to ask us about our hope. I suppose that would be neighbors or friends or family members. It may be people the Lord just puts in our path. Who knows, someone reading this blog might even pass it on to someone they know who could be encouraged by it.

 

You and I need to be in God’s Word reading and studying every day. That would be to encourage ourselves but to know it well enough to share it when given the opportunity. Times are beginning to get tough; the outlook is not so good for the day ahead either. We have to hang on to the Word of God, allowing it to be our strength, to encourage us and each other. I believe God is going to send people to us in the days ahead. Let’s be ready to encourage them with His Word, introduce them to the Savior and show them the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom.